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This article is for the PC version of Stellaris only.

Employed leaders

A leader is a named character that leads a significant part of the Empire, as Governor, Scientist, Admiral or General. The ruler is a specific subtype of Leader and in many cases elected from the existing leaders.

Contents

Gaining and losing leaders

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All values in this section can be modified by leader traits, edicts, technology, policies, traditions, civics and ruler traits.

Leader pool

While some events and diplomatic options may give leaders, the most common way to get leaders is to recruit them from the leader pool. There is one pool for each type of leader, other than Rulers, who cannot be recruited directly. The default size of the pool is 3, but this can be increased by the Meritocracy or Pooled Knowledge civics.

A leader can be recruited from the pool for a base cost of 200 energy credits, modifier by the following:

Source

Cost

Eager leader trait

-50%

Newboot leader trait

-50%

Adaptive Bureaucracy technology

-20%

Selected Lineages Leader Enhancement policy

+50%

Capacity Boosters Leader Enhancement policy

+100%

When a leader is recruited, a replacement in the leader pool is generated immediately. Thus, it is possible (though potentially expensive) to "re-roll" leaders in the pool by recruiting and immediately dismissing leaders. Alternatively, leaders in the pool are replaced automatically after 10 years.

Once recruited, leaders can be freely assigned to different posts (for example, moving a governor from one planet to another sector) - taking a few days to arrive at the new location - be left without an assignment, or be dismissed.

Each Leader save for the Ruler has a monthly upkeep of 2 Energy Credits. For every one point of empire size over administrative cap the leader cost and upkeep increase by 1%

Age

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Each leader has an age in years, which is between 28 and 50 when they are first generated (18-26 for heirs). Leaders have a base guaranteed lifespan of 80 years. Life expectancy can be improved by picking the traits Enduring or Venerable during species set-up and by researching certain technologies, picking certain traditions; or worsened by picking Fleeting during species set-up. Synthetics and certain other cases can make a leader immortal. Certain event resolution choices can also grant an increase in lifespan for all leaders.

After passing their guaranteed lifespan, leaders have a chance of dying every month. The probability is 0.2% per year that has passed since their guaranteed lifespan. After 20 years past their guaranteed lifespan this increases to 2% per year. The mean lifespan with no modifiers is 88 years, 6 months.

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Population

Governance

Planet

Technology

∞

Gestalt Consciousness

Chosen One

Synthetic

—

—

+80

Venerable

—

—

—

+50

Robust

—

—

—

+40

Cybernetic

Increased Lifespan

—

—

+25

—

Resilient

—

—

+20

Enduring

Mind and Body

Leader Enhancement – Capacity Boosters

"Covenant: Composer of Strands" modifier

—

—

+15

—

"Excluding Elixir of Life" modifier

—

—

+10

—

Leader Enhancement – Selected Lineages

"Inoculated Population" modifier

—

Vitality Boosters

+5

—

—

—

Cell Revitalization

−10

Fleeting

"Incompatible Inoculations" modifier

—

—

−20

—

Substance Abuser

—

—

Other ways to lose leaders

Leaders may also die when the science ship, fleet or army they are commanding is destroyed, or by certain events.

Leaders (other than Rulers) may be dismissed at any time. Dismissal is irreversible.

Skill level

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The skill level of a leader determines their basic bonuses, which depend on leader type (ruler, governor, etc.). By default, skill ranges from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 5. The skill maximum can be increased by certain traits, civics, and the leader enhancement policy.

A leader's skill increases after accumulating a certain number of experience points, shown in the table below. Upon gaining a level, a leader's experience total resets to 0 and they have a chance to gain a leader trait.

Level

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

IX

X

XP

200

475

825

1250

1750

2325

2975

3700

4500

Trait gain chance

10%

14.3%

21.7%

35.7%

Leader classes

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Leaders are divided into 5 classes that determines their possible assignments, bonuses, experience sources and available traits.

An empire's first ruler can be customized at empire creation but its traits are randomized

When a ruler steps down it can be reassigned based on its class but loses all traits

Governor

+2% Resources from Jobs-3 Crime

5 per month when governing

Sectors

Scientist

+2% Research Speed+1% Research Assist Output+10% Survey Speed

3.5 per month when leading research3 per month when assisting research10 per survey50 per researched anomaly100 per completed special project

Research departmentsScience ships

Research in a department is reduced by -25% if no scientist is assigned to it

Science ships cannot perform any function without a scientist

Scientists can gain new traits from anomalies

A scientist's level is matched against the level of an anomaly when investigating to determine the time it takes to research it

Admiral

+3% Fire Rate

3 per month when suppressing piracy10 per space battle0.25 per destroyed ship (on either side)

Military Fleets

New admirals can arise after space battles

Admirals can gain new traits based on what the fleet is doing

Admirals have a 10% chance to die each time a ship of the largest size in the fleet is destroyed

General

+5% Army Damage

1 per day when fighting

PlanetsTransport fleets

Generals have a 5% chance to die each time they lose an army

Leader Traits

Non-Ruler Leaders are generated with one pre-existing trait suitable for their class. Every time a Leader gains a level, they have a chance to receive an additional trait, provided they do not already have 3 traits.

Class

Trait

Effect

Species

Requirements

Description

Any

Adaptable

+25% Leader Experience Gain

Biological

This leader is quick to adapt new methods and ideas if they prove superior.

Any

Resilient

+25 years Leader Lifespan

Biological

This leader is resilient and in excellent physical condition, dramatically increasing life expectancy.

Any

Eager

-50% Leader Cost-50% Leader Upkeep

Biological

This leader is particularly eager for an assignment.

Any

Flexible Programming

+25% Leader Experience Gain

Robotic

This leader has unusually flexible programming, and is capable of quickly adapting new methods and procedures if they prove superior.

Any

Newboot

-50% Leader Cost-50% Leader Upkeep

Robotic

This leader was only recently upgraded to a sufficiently autonomous state to allow for command positions.

And

Increased Lifespan

+40 years Leader Lifespan

Biological

Shroud event

The powerful psionic energies of the Shroud have slowed the natural aging process of this leader.

Any

Arrested Development

-1000% Leader Experience Gain

Any

The personal development and skills of this leader seem to have plateaued at their present level.

Any

Stubborn

-25% Leader Experience Gain

Biological

This leader is stubborn and slow to accept new methods and ideas, even if they have proven superior.

Any

Rigid Programming

-25% Leader Experience Gain

Robotic

This leader has particularly rigid programming that only rarely permits behavioral modifications, even when such changes would improve efficiency.

Any

Substance Abuser

-20 years Leader Lifespan

Biological

This leader has fallen to substance abuse to cope with the stress, which has had a detrimental effect on physical health.

Architectural Sense

-10% Building Cost-10% District Cost+10% Planet Building Speed

Biological

This leader is an architect at heart, investing in more efficient construction practices.

Champion of the People

+5% Happiness

Biological

This leader seems really to be concerned about the welfare of his people.

Charismatic

−10% Edict Cost+20% Edict Duration

Biological

This leader is exceptionally charismatic, enforcing their will with ease.

Deep Connections

+1 Monthly Influence

Biological

Planetary Unification technology

This leader is firmly entrenched in the labyrinthine web that makes up the polictical machine.

Expansionist

−15% Outpost Build Cost−15% Starbase Influence Cost

Biological

This leader aims to expand their borders, reducing the Outpost build cost and Colony Influence cost.

Explorer

−25% Science Ship Build Cost+33% Anomaly Research Speed

Biological

This leader is known for their insatiable curiosity, valuing space exploration above all else.

Eye for Talent

+1 Leader Skill Levels+20% Leader Experience Gain

Biological

Galactic Administration technology

This leader is considered to be unusually perceptive, spotting talent where others see only eccentricity or incompetence.

When it comes to warfare, this leader is mercilessly obsessive, and singular in purpose.

Cybrex Databases

+10% Evasion+10% Fire Rate+20% Damage to the Contingency

Cybrex

This Cybrex leader is equipped with ancient tactical databases from their civilization's violent past.

Dimensional Stutter

+20% Sublight Speed

Extradimensional

For unknown reasons, the vessels under the command of this extradimensional fleet lord seem to rapidly stutter in and out of existence as they move, which has the effect of increasing their sublight speeds.

Ethereal

+20% Evasion

Extradimensional

Some extradimensional fleet lords have learned to use the ethereal nature of their vessels to greatly enhance their evasive capabilities in combat.

Hive Affinity

+20% Fire Rate

Prethoryn

The Prethoryn creatures operating under this fleet consciousness have managed to attain an unusual level of affinity to one another. Their firing discipline has greatly improved, leading to a higher rate of fire.

The Self-Preservation Protocols Tradition reduces the weight of accidents by half, reducing the chance for an accident to occur for each role to 1.06% (6.38% total), for a mean active lifespan of 940 years. The Tradition is only available to Machine Intelligence empires.